Laos forum

I sent a package from the Luang Prabang post office to the US in late february. The package has not arrived. I have a receipt with a tracking number but cannot seem to find anyplace online to track/trace the package.
Is it possible they are still waiting for a container to fill up? Should I just resign myself to the fact that in all likelihood the package is lost?

I dropped off a bunch of post cards at the Lao Post Office near the morning market in Vientiane once. The nice lady at the counter told me how much it would be to mail them to the various places they were addressed and collected the money. It was over 100.000 kip. She then told me she'd place the stamps on the cards later that day. Because of bad experiences I'd had with disappearing mail sent from Mexico and Turkey, I was sure these post cards would never arrive either. But sure enough, they arrived as the lady promised.

Because of that, I too am 100 percent certain that the problem must be with the US Post Office. In fact, even if the package were sent to the UK or New Zealand, I suspect that somehow the USPS would be at fault. From what I understand, they were also responsible for the Lindberg kidnapping and the Hindenburg disaster.

@ savory: I know from experience that packages from Laos go through an extra bit of scrutiny in the states, so even though it has been a long while, all might not be lost. I have had packages show up after longer than six months, bruised and battered and obviously subject to a thorough search but still at my doorstep.

@ Rufus: Do you know of any way savory could follow up on that track/trace number from the Lao PO end? Is there an online option or would she need to present the number in person at the office?

Well, I've posted stuff from Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore and it's arrived safely in NZ. So that proves that it's USPS for sure. I'm waiting on an order being shipped from US to NZ. If it doesn't arrive, that doubly proves it!

Savory, I'll be in LP the last week of September (ie 3 weeks from now or so). If you want me to follow up at the post office, feel free to get in touch. You can take a photo of the receipt and email it through and I'll see what I can do.

Hi Exacto,
"@ Rufus: Do you know of any way savory could follow up on that track/trace number from the Lao PO end?"

Not to my knowledge. If you are still in Lao you might try going to the PO and asking them.
Was the US postal service really responsible for the Hindenburg disaster and the Lindbergh kidnapping? I didn't know that!

i use the track and confirm feature on this website to track items i've mailed from within the states. i don't know if it will help locate the package mailed from laos, but it wouldn't hurt to try. good luck!

"I've posted stuff from Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore and it's arrived safely in NZ. So that proves that it's USPS for sure."

I feel obligated to point out the hole in that logic. Seriously, because you've sent stuff from other Asian countries to NZ and it arrived means that someone who sent from Laos to US unsuccessfully "proves" the fault of the USPS?

I too have sent many parcels from various SE Asian countries over the past dozen years to NZ/Aus/UK/Germany and yes the USA, and yep they all showed up sooner or later. Hopefully savorygal yours will too, but to claim the Laos postal service is somehow beyond fault is "logically speaking" rubbish. It's the 3rd world after all.

#10Captain_Bob has been a member since 27/5/2006. Location: Thailand. Posts: 1,918

ok everybody.. good news... the package arrived,... seems it got forwarded to my sisters house and, she forgot to tell me so all is well that ends well... or something like that. and long live the USPS!

No gripe, just it's one of the least developed countries on earth, so understandably things don't always "work". It's sort of charming.
Lizzy I too am a Kiwank (or preferably a Yankwee) dual US/NZ citizenship. I lived in Auckland in the 90s and got so bored with people having at a go at my "American-ness" I just started winding them up with sheep jokes and giving praise to all things Australian (Pavlova, Russel Crowe, Lord of the Rings, etc.)

the package arrived
YAY!

#17Captain_Bob has been a member since 27/5/2006. Location: Thailand. Posts: 1,918

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